Swiss police said three skiers were killed in an avalanche in the Alps and two others were taken to a hospital with minor injuries.

Police in Valais canton (state) said the avalanche hit the group of five skiers on Saturday afternoon. The group had set off from an Alpine hut earlier in the day to cross the famed Aletsch Glacier in southern Switzerland to the Fiescheralp area.

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Another group saw the avalanche and alerted rescuers, who recovered two of the skiers alive on Saturday evening and found the bodies of the other three. Police said the victims were Spanish citizens.

Police said Sunday that the rescue operation was "extremely difficult" because of the weather conditions and poor visibility.